1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for controlling installation of applications, an installation method, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional image forming apparatuses can be extended in functionality by installing applications. To implement restrictions on the duration of use of an application and the number of times of printing, such image forming apparatuses are configured to have applications installed in combination with respective license files in which restriction information is embedded.
For the sake of preventing unauthorized use, conventional image forming apparatuses are configured so that used license files cannot be installed in the same image forming apparatuses again. Such image forming apparatuses have an upper limit on resources (memory and storage capacities) available for applications, within which range a plurality of applications can be freely installed in combination as discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-139149.
Apparatuses with less available resources, such as a low-end image forming apparatus, are not able to have a large number of applications installed and used at a time. One possible approach is to store an application and a license file in a universal serial bus (USB) memory and install/uninstall the application in association with the insertion/removal of the USB memory. This approach facilitates switching different types of applications and is therefore considered effective even for devices with less available resources.
External storage devices like a USB memory can be removed by force. In this case, it is not possible with the foregoing configuration to write back the license file. This has caused a problem because the application data such as an application file cannot be installed again.